Pearl Mackie didn't watch the rebooted 'Doctor Who' because she was going through a "rebellious phase".

Pearl Mackie

Pearl Mackie

The 29-year-old actress has been cast as the next companion of the Time Lord in the iconic sci-fi series - but has admitted she didn't follow the programme when it returned to the air in 2005.

Asked to name her favourite Doctor, Pearl explained: "I haven't got one. The thing is, it wasn't on when I was a kid."

And asked whether she watched the reboot, she said: "I was 15 or 16, and it wasn't my thing. I was going through my rebellious phase."

But since being cast alongside the Doctor, Pearl admitted she has become much more aware of the show's popularity.

She told the Guardian newspaper: "The other day, I was in my friend's shop just over there and this French guy comes in. I say, 'I don't work here, but someone will be with you in a minute.' He says, 'Non, non, non! You are Pearl Mackie, yes? Can I take your picture?'"

Pearl also offered an insight into what fans of the show can expect from her on-screen character, recalling the circumstances surrounding the day she was cast.

She shared: "I turned up in T-shirt, jeans and some yellow boots and I felt out of my depth. It was the Soho Hotel - so posh!

"I knew I could bring her to life. She's funny and geeky and vulnerable. There's a goofiness to her and a big heart. She gets things wrong, she has a temper. I thought, 'I know her. I could play her.'"